Fallout
by DirtyAim
Summary: In the time it takes for Nolan to get to Emily after the phone call in Reckoning. Rated M for language.


_**FALLOUT**_

_**Nolan: OMG...uh, just stay put, ill be right there, and dont do anything revengey until I get there ok?...Emily?**_

_**Emily:...yeah...**_

**~(*)~**

Amanda Clarke watched as the flames danced within the fireplace. They writhed and shuddered, twining in and around each other in some kind of morbid play.

Amanda's mind was much the same. The thoughts she couldn't control almost seemed to swirl around her, their vitriol and despair poisoning the very air she breathed.

It was happening again...just like before.

_Oh God..._

Her plans were no more than ashes at her feet... Daniel and Jake were both out of her reach in one way or another. She was going to be utterly alone, again.

_Daniel... _

She had failed him.

No, she had done much worse than that. She had trusted him.

Emotion welled thick and heavy as Amanda thought of what Daniel was becoming, and her hand in creating it.

When she had met him...no, even before that, when she had watched him, he had been so naive...innocent. He had the blindness of one who has never had to care, who has never had to see his own world fall apart.

Little by little, with every wound, both physical and heartfelt, Amanda had began to love him. How could she not? Every-time Amanda looked at him, she could see herself and the little girl who had became lost.

She wouldn't let that happen to Daniel. She would guide him through this self discovery, stand by him and shield him from the worst of it, until all was brought to light and the damned were left to rot. Then he would understand, because he would be just like her...and finally, for once, she would not be alone.

But instead he had committed the greatest sin of all, next to his mother whom had sold the one she loved to save herself. Now her son was just as guilty as the rest- refusing to honor justice, but instead, self-preservation and power.

Ever since that fateful night in his fathers study, Amanda had begun to see Daniel's parents reflected in his eyes, and none of herself.

_Except when you gave him back the ring... _

Amanda felt the first tears threaten to spill and she futily fought against the weakness. The pain she had caused was very real and she knew it. She was guilty...but she couldn't stay with him, not now! He was no longer a pawn, but an enemy, and even though he had betrayed her, Amanda couldn't lie to him like that.

She couldn't love him anymore-and so, she had failed him.

_Now she was alone, just like always...and all the devils around her would laugh as she fell..._

The photo of her frightened father flashed before her, quickly followed by montage of those guilty for his demise, finally ending with the smug face of the White Haired Man.

**No!**

She couldn't take this. Not again...not after everything she had done, everything they had done!

Unable to stay still, Amanda jumped up and began pacing in-front of the mantel, arguing with herself viciously as she did so.

_I should have killed that white-haired sonofa-bitch! I should have gotten that much, to make at least one of those bastards pay!_

_Like Victoria? She was on the plane with all of your evidence...now she's on a one way flight to hell..._

"It's not the same" Amanda mumbled. "She had to pay first...she had to SEE WHAT SHE DID!"

Amanda wanted Victoria Grayson to be a sniveling pile at her feet, but only after she fully realized her crime-and her punishment. Amanda didn't trust in any afterlife to deliver the woman's just deserts. No, Amanda wanted to personally take everything from her, to relish in Victoria's pain for herself.

But the slippery bitch had escaped through death, and had taken everything with her!

_None of them deserve to get away, not one of them gets clemency, I won't allow it...I WON'T ALLOW IT!_

_But how do I do it? How? It's all gone, all of it...theres no way...all for nothing..._

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be falling apart, not now- it wasn't for nothing, they wouldn't win, she wouldn't FUCKING LET THEM!

With a howl of rage so primal it seemed to sear her throat, Amanda snatched the infinity box from the table and threw it into the fire.

The voice of the White Hair man resonated all around her and she was unable to block it out.

_Your father never knew what hit him, did he?..Aren't you going to honor your father?...You're a hell of a fighter...more in common than you realise...never knew what hit him...honor your father...a fighter...Let's finish it._

Soon others joined in a cacophony, bringing Amanda to her knees..

_David Clarke was a monster...I loved David Clarke...He couldn't have been all bad could he?...Let me tell you about what we did to David Clarke and his little baby girl...promise me you're never gonna lose..._

The voices were swelling around her and Amanda could feel a physical pain from the awful chorus. Desperately she tried to block them out with her fists against her ears, but she knew it was no use. After all, how many nights had she lain awake listening to the voices and their taunts?

No, ignoring them didn't work. The only thing that quieted the guilt was retribution

But then suddenly the voices stopped and the room was quiet once more.

Shivering, Amanda slowly raised her head and opened her eyes, her fists still pressed tightly against her ears.

In her direct line of vision, a feminine hand rested over a swollen stomach, a simple single diamond engagement ring on the appropriate finger.

Amanda hadn't heard anyone come in. Jesus, how did she get _**IN**_?

With excruciating slowness, Amanda rose to her feet to face her former cell mate directly. Emily grinned at her and flashed her ring hand, wiggling her fingers for good measure.

"I know, right? Once Jack found out about the baby, he got down on one knee and proposed right away. Oh man, it was so romantic. He said that he couldn't go on living unless he knew that me and the baby were right there beside him always, and then he asked me to be his wife! I mean wow, I'm gonna marry Jack, can you believe it!"

"How the HELL did YOU get in here?" Amanda snarled.

Emily's eyebrow rose in surprise. "Really? You left the front door wide open." She explained, gesturing behind her. Beyond the front steps of the open doorway, an abyss of night waited.

"Not very smart you know,"Emily added in an abrading tone. "No telling just who could waltz right in."

"Yeah, no telling what kind of trash will just invite herself ." Amanda sneered.

Emily pouted for moment before flashing a bright smile."Ouch! You know, jealousy isn't a good look for you hun, and neither is this faux billionaire shtick. Your not fooling anyone, your still just the little piece of trash from cell block D that nobody wanted to remember."

"You stupid little bitch, you don't know anything! _Jack_ remembers me. It's me he wants, not you!" Amanda argued. The mention of Jack, of her true hearts desire, caused a lance of pain so strong it took her breath for a moment. The room seemed to tilt as she took in the picture of everything she should have had, if she had been allowed to have a normal life.

"I'm the one he wants to marry." She finished with shakey conviciton.

Emily's bubbly smile changed into a self satisfied smirk. "Of course he does honey...and I just want you to know that I couldn't have done it without you. You know, I had no idea being you could turn out like this, but I have to admit, its turned out pretty damn well for me. I always thought that you had it rough, you know, like me-but oh, the shit you were hiding! Sneaky little thing, aren't you? Well I can be sneaky too, and I must say that being able to take Jack from you is fucking yummy as hell."

Amanda felt as if the everything were shaking around her as she struggled to suppress her anger. She couldn't deny that it was her fault; that she had pushed Jack away and left him vulnerable. Oh she should have known, should have guessed that the little psychopath would never leave once she had seen what Amanda had.

She had always known what Emily's greatest obsession had been: Herself.

As if guessing the direction of Amanda's thoughts, Emily's expression darkened menacingly."You know, if you get any bright ideas about telling Jack the truth now, your whole game will go to shit...and then what would Daddy say? After all, you've already done a bang up job clearing his name. If it were me, I would have had the bitch Victoria worked over months ago, but I guess someone else took care of that for you, huh."

Emily once again rested her hands on her swollen belly, rubbing it gently. In a deceptively caring voice she said "I just stopped by to let you to know that, now that I'm back...Jack will no longer be needing friends like you. You see, we're getting married now that we have a baby coming, and he's just going to be too busy to see you."

Emily paused a moment before adding, "We both know you shouldn't be around him anyways, now that I'm here...right Emily?"

Every glass surface inside the house shattered inward from an unseen force, wreaking devastation on Amanda Clarke's sanctuary.

**~(*)~**

The Infinity Box sat on a table in-front of a vigilant fire, the dancing flames the only witness as Emily Thorne's world quietly fell apart for a second time.

**~(*)~**

**AN:** So I have had some seriously busy real life issues the past few mths ( a move, work, a fire, you know) and I didn't even get to SEE the last two episodes until a two weeks ago, how sad is that.? I will be updating TITM, im working on where I want to start. Soooo, Waddya think? Was it too confusing? Lemme know! ^_^


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